Speaker Wire Termination?

[Asmodeus2112]

What does one use to terminate speaker wires to an amp with these screw connectors? Bullet Crimps?

Edited September 15, 2015 by Asmodeus2112

[minnmarker]

Back the screw out. Strip the wire about 3/8". Insert wire. Tighten screw.

[David]

For that type terminal I find that using the raw wire works best in order to stay seated long term and resist shock and vibration...and to make more surface area contact. Maybe only lightly tin the wire strands, but you are far better off having a flexible wire rather than an inflexible addition to the end of the wire. It also helps to have a heavy gauge wire that comes a little closer to filling the terminal block hole.

[Asmodeus2112]

Back the screw out. Strip the wire about 3/8". Insert wire. Tighten screw.

For that type terminal I find that using the raw wire works best in order to stay seated long term and resist shock and vibration...and to make more surface area contact. Maybe only lightly tin the wire strands, but you are far better off having a flexible wire rather than an inflexible addition to the end of the wire. It also helps to have a heavy gauge wire that comes a little closer to filling the terminal block hole.

Thanks guys. I'm adding another amp, and when I installed the first one I was dissatisfied with the connections of just the wires to these terminals. They seemed to fall out 20% of the time, and I'm sure most of them will not take much strain. I'll try some lower gauge wire, I'm at work so from memory I think I used 18 ga., so maybe I'll try 16 and see what happens. Just wanted to see if there was a trick of the trade that I was unaware of.

[David]

If the diameter of wire is too small, like in the case of a speaker or turn-on wire, then strip more back and tightly fold it over.

For any cable, especially larger heavier primary cables, clamp and strain relieve the wire on the amp panel near the terminal and use a decent size radius going into the terminal. A very hard radius on a rigid cable wants to pull the heavier gauge power cables away from the terminal.

[Chatty21VLX]

I would use 14 gauge wire for the speaker leads. 12 gauge would be overkill, but would be even better. As said above, bare wire is correct under those type of terminals.